Liquor stores concerned about European wine tariffs [Video]

BUFFALO, N.Y. — National lobby and trade group American Beverage Licensees is holding its quarterly meeting in Washington, D.C. this week.

Member Mark O’Callaghan, the owner of Exit 9 Wine and Liquor Warehouse in Clifton Park, New York, said most of the conversation is about tariffs.

“It’s not changing daily,” O’Callaghan said. “It’s changing hourly.”

The Trump administration has already imposed 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian products including liquor. On Thursday morning, the president threatened 200% tariffs on European liquor and wine in response to planned European tariffs on American whiskey.

“We weren’t anticipating that. We were talking about whiskeys and tequila,” O’Callaghan said.

O’Callaghan, also a New York State Liquor Store Association board member, said the stores are lobbying the administration to exclude their industry from the current trade wars.

“We’re a unique in the fact that a lot of our products, most of our imported products are specific to the designation such as tequila can only …